Self-supporting collapsible elongate member may be typically used in a variety of areas of technology and may be used, for example, in devices such as tape measures. When extended, the elongate member may be generally self-supporting from one end in a horizontal direction up to a particular maximum stand-out length, at which point the elongate member will generally collapse. When flattened, the elongate member may be folded or reeled for storage. The technological limitations associated with such collapsible elongate members are generally related to the stand-out length of the elongate member, the weight of the elongate member, the size of the collapsed elongate member, the minimum bending radius of the elongate member and the durability of the elongate member over its lifetime of collapsing and extending.
Some known types of self-supporting collapsible elongate members are constructed of two relatively thin elongate strips of a material that are joined at their longitudinal edges to form flanges with an enclosed tube-like structural region between them. Typically, each of the elongate strips may be constructed of a metal material and the elongate strips are joined through welding. Typically the elongate strips have complimentary curved profiles to increase the stand-out length of the elongate member. When these types of elongate members are collapsed, they are typically flattened and reeled onto a spool. Forces on the joints between the elongate strips may be damaging to the elongate member, particularly when welding of the edges of the elongate strips may render the joints of the elongate member relatively brittle. Reeling of the elongate member may cause buckling of at least one of the elongate strips, which may reduce the compactness of the collapsed elongate member. Furthermore, the stresses on the elongate member from its reeling may compound with the stresses on the elongate member from its flattening, which may contribute to the degradation of the elongate member.
It is with respect to these and other considerations that the disclosure herein is presented.